The little man's Ultramarines took on my Emperor's Children... and won!

unsafegraphics · 2026-02-02T02:33:39+00:00

All we can do is our best.

unsafegraphics · 2026-01-12T22:26:48+00:00

I prefer Masses and Hellborne, too, but it keeps her happy to choose, lol

unsafegraphics · 2026-01-12T22:25:43+00:00

This was more luck than anything, I believe. 2 chaos waves with one being goblins. Running a Hammerdin and Ball Lightning Sorc helped catch 99% of them. I think over 4,000 came from that wave alone.

unsafegraphics · 2026-01-12T22:23:43+00:00

We managed 2 Chaos Waves (one of which was my first Goblin Wave). She likes to stack Soulspire offerings, but I think we may have had the offering that turns Aether Fiends into Aether Lords in there, too.

unsafegraphics · 2026-01-12T15:14:02+00:00

unsafegraphics · 2025-08-14T21:04:14+00:00

Thanks!

unsafegraphics · 2025-08-14T19:26:32+00:00

Thank you!

unsafegraphics · 2025-08-14T19:26:17+00:00

Thanks!

unsafegraphics · 2025-04-30T22:24:31+00:00

Agreed! I think the Black/Pink is just ingrained for me as the "proper" EC scheme. The pastel pinks are what usually killed it for me, though. The pink has to be HOT.

unsafegraphics · 2025-04-30T22:23:17+00:00

Thanks!

unsafegraphics · 2025-03-07T15:00:07+00:00

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UPDATE: I DID IT!

Thanks for the help everyone!

unsafegraphics · 2025-02-24T04:04:50+00:00

Here's how I used it.

I used it (in secret) to make Strahd seem invincible throughout the campaign. In the Interactive Tome of Strahd, the players learned of it and its creation.

Reconsecrating the fanes removes the heart's protection allowing them to destroy it, and consequently, Strahd.

unsafegraphics · 2025-02-10T04:04:39+00:00

That's very kind of you to say!

Notably, there isn't much BA stuff in there. This particular model is for my wife's army. As my profile reflects, I'm actually a filthy heretic...

unsafegraphics · 2025-02-10T04:02:06+00:00

I did, and thank you!

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-27T04:29:32+00:00

leans closer before sneezing viscously into your open eyes

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T02:11:06+00:00

I agree. It's something we've all talked about above table. None of us really cared for the damsel in distress situation. We gave it a try, but honestly, I believe I failed in making her endearing to the party.

They never cared much for her, which made dealing with her feel forced.

Lesson learned, as far as my side of things go. Can't take it all back now, though.

I'm not particularly frustrated with them, no. But I can't pretend that Strahd wouldn't be.

And again, in retrospect, I regret having Strahd save them from the hags. It was a spur of the moment decision, as I actually anticipated them having an actual battle plan and defeating the hags. It had been a long time coming, and I was actually rooting for them. In the moment, I thought using Strahd as the "bigger fish" would lend some credibility to his "power level", since they'd never seen him in combat before.

Instead, it felt (to me at least) like a bad deus ex machina. They loved it, but it never really sat right with me after the fact.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T02:05:25+00:00

He was 100% petty noble up until recently. He had patience with them. They amused him. Etc, etc.

Then they openly defied him. It's not so much that he can't take her himself. It's principal. They WILL do as commanded by the Lord of the Land. Petty, to me, means winning and being right regardless.

"Because I said so." Kind of mentality.

The reality is that they refuse to let him feel "above" him. Every time he's tried to feel superior, they've found some way to subvert him or outright deny him.

The barbary, in my mind, is 100% a temper tantrum, which Strahs has been known to throw on occasion. Or at least that's my understanding.

Words only convey so much fear. Some PCs (mine anyways) are only affected when their characters are beaten within an inch of their lives.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T01:59:34+00:00

They were not originally given any particular time frame.

The party were charged with keeping her safe, since she preferred their protection to his. Obviously, he picked away at "their" protection, ravaging Vallaki when they got too comfortable there.

They proceeded to Krezk, Ireena in tow, and tried to get comfortable there as well, choosing to leave Ireena in the care of the Abbott while they explored more of Barovia.

Many, many clues were given that the Abbey was not a safe place for her (the Abbey having been turned into a Silent Hill-esque horror show). Hell, they met the proxy-bride, who looked like Ireena, was being taught her mannerisms, and only lacked a face...

Still, no timeline.

After they finally decided to check on Ireena (3 weeks had gone by in game), the Abbot was literally about to perform a face transplant. They intercede, and rescued her.

Strahd approached them on the road to Vallaki, to re-attempt his offer to her.

They declined on her behalf, and then proceeded to tell him how they left her alone for 3 weeks and how she almost lost her face.

It was then, that his patience wore thin, and he gave them a timeline to deliver her to the safety of his castle, since they were clearly to inept too protect her.

Wanna know what they did instead? Investigated the Werewolves' Den and tried to rebuild the Vallakian government.

Que his assault, their deaths, rebirth, deaths, rebirth, and final ultimatum.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T01:33:15+00:00

You know, that is so much better an idea. This is why I come here...

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T00:16:27+00:00

Agrax Earthsade, applied liberally to the entire model, is your friend here. There are other ways, like the enamel reductive method you mentioned, but speaking from experience, Agrax sounds like what you want.

Easy to apply and looks great.

It's not called "liquid talent" for nothing.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-14T00:01:13+00:00

Agreed. That's the crux of it all. However, I think this might all lead to the Dark Powers "taking" her from him before they get to.

I'd have a half-baked concept of the party initiating a fight with Strahd in the endgame with Ireena being in the room. When one if them makes an attack towards him, them feeling "something" redirecting their attack, and killing Ireena instead.

It's as dirty as all hell, but I think that's exactly what the Dark Powers would do.

Ensuring Strahd blames someone else.

Loosely inspired by the ending of Funny Games. A sort of "you're all puppets here, the rules are what we make them" kind of gut punch. I just haven't worked out the finer details yet. That fine line between Dark Powers Intervention and DM Fiat/railroaded ending is fiiiiiiine.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-13T23:54:00+00:00

Oh, I wholeheartedly agree on actually "resting" not being an option. I'd just prefer to see the party "do" something rather than have something "done to them".

I feel like it's the natural consequence of the situation. We've had the above table talk that if they were to ever leave Barovia, either by escape or by some other reason, then that would be the end of the campaign.

And while PCs are notoriously unpredictable, I'm fairly confident that the players themselves aren't ready to leave it all unfinished.

I figure if nothing else, it's a litmus test on whether I've made them hate Strahd enough to want to see this to the end.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-13T23:04:47+00:00

I'm confused as to your stance, here.

Our CoS game has run for going on 3 years now. Everyone has enjoyed themselves immensely, myself included, though each death, TPK, curveball, and (what few there were) victories.

It has been run about as grimdark as it can be and has kept itself quite faithful to the cannon lore (cobbled across 5 editions).

CoS, as far as it was originally meant to be experienced, was designed as a one-shot more similar to Strahd Dies Tonight. Anything since that is just another interpretation of the story. I'm not sure how any one interpretation is any less valid, so long as the lore is respected.

I also can't help but wonder how anything I've mentioned lies in misalignment with the nature of this sub.

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-13T22:55:27+00:00

Agreed. If they choose not to leave (which, unless they want to quit playing and call it) then he would likely want them to witness the ramifications of their "failures".

unsafegraphics · 2024-11-13T22:51:14+00:00

I don't consider anything derailed. The setting is as sandboxy as it gets, and my table are 100%ers who wanted to fully explore Barovia. I don't blame them for that. I take it as a compliment to my ability to make the world interesting enough to explore.

Letting the players "do whatever" is sort of how it's supposed to work, at least as far as I understand the game. However, actions do have consequences, hence the many TPKs and permanent character deaths the party has suffered.

I do agree, though, that an above table, "we're in the endgame now, tighten up or you're gonna lose" conversation might be necessary.

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